This invention relates to a circuit card package and, more particularly, to a circuit card package wherein child cards are mounted parallel to a parent card without requiring the use of screws, nuts, standoffs, etc., so that field replacements and upgrades are easily effected.
In the field of telecommunications equipment, there are increasing requirements to pack more circuitry into a limited space. In the past, when telecommunications systems were expanded by increasing the number of child cards, it was typical to have to redesign the backplane to add additional connectors to accommodate the additional child cards. Redesigning the backplane is a major undertaking, both in time and expense. It would therefore be desirable to provide a circuit card package which can accommodate additional child cards without requiring a new design of the backplane.
According to the present invention, there is provided a circuit card package which includes a first circuit card (i.e., parent card) with a first connector mounted thereon. An interface adaptor board is secured to the first connector and is oriented in a plane orthogonal to the first circuit card. At least one second connector is mounted to the interface adaptor board and is adapted to have secured thereto a respective one of at least one second circuit card (i.e., child card) oriented parallel to the first circuit card.